Environmental Studies
Chapter Exam Questions
Course Introduction
Environmental Studies is an interdisciplinary course that explores the complex interactions between humans and their natural environment. Students will examine key topics such as ecological systems, environmental policy, resource management, sustainability, and the impact of human activity on ecosystems. The course emphasizes critical thinking and problem-solving skills as learners analyze environmental challenges and consider practical solutions from scientific, social, ethical, and economic perspectives. Through case studies, discussions, and hands-on activities, students will gain a foundational understanding of global environmental issues and the tools necessary to contribute to a more sustainable future.
Recommended Textbook
Environmental Geology 10th Edition by
Carla W Montgomery
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Page 2
Chapter 1: Planet and Population: An Overview
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Q1) The average global population growth rate as of 2005 was about
A) 10 percent per year.
B) 3 percent per year.
C) 1.2 percent per year.
D) zero; world population has stabilized.
Answer: C
Q2) The least dense minerals are found in earth's core.
A)True
B)False
Answer: False
Q3) Which of the following aspects of human interaction with earth is not true
A) Human activity has caused some species to become extinct.
B) Humans have the ability to eradicate entire rain forests.
C) Humans are able to correct some of their environmental mistakes.
D) Humans have the ability to alter plate tectonics.
Answer: D
Q4) Earth's population will be stabilized when its growth rate becomes constant.
A)True
B)False
Answer: False
Page 3
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Chapter 2: Rocks and Minerals-A First Look
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Q1) Diamond and graphite have the same chemical composition.
A)True
B)False
Answer: True
Q2) The sulfide mineral group includes many valuable ores.
A)True
B)False
Answer: True
Q3) Different isotopes of one element are chemically indistinguishable.
A)True
B)False
Answer: True
Q4) Clastic sedimentary rocks are classified or named on the basis of the size of the fragments that form the rock.
A)True
B)False
Answer: True
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Chapter 3: Plate Tectonics
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Sample Questions
Q1) A ductile material is one that
A) Resists deformation under stress.
B) Conducts electricity well.
C) Readily undergoes plastic deformation.
D) Ruptures easily under stress.
Answer: C
Q2) According to plate-tectonic theory,plates of rigid,elastic __________ move over a weak plastic layer below.
A) Lithosphere
B) Asthenosphere
C) Mantle
D) Core
Answer: A
Q3) Rubber bands show elastic behavior until their elastic limit is exceeded; rocks are always brittle.
A)True
B)False
Answer: False
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5
Chapter 4: Earthquakes
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Sample Questions
Q1) Scale modeling is a useful tool in designing earthquake-resistant buildings,but its usefulness is limited by the lack of records of actual ground motion during large earthquakes.
A)True
B)False
Q2) Slow,gradual slip along a fault is termed
A) Stress.
B) Creep.
C) Rebound.
D) Focus.
Q3) An individual,preparing for the likelihood of an earthquake,should NOT
A) Choose living quarters that will withstand likely seismic waves generated during earthquakes typical of the region.
B) Keep emergency supplies handy and fresh.
C) Know where gas and electric shut-off devices are in the home or apartment.
D) Place tall, heavy furniture next to a bed that is not secured to a wall.
Q4) After an earthquake,rocks snap back elastically to their pre-stress condition.
A)True
B)False
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Chapter 5: Volcanoes
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Sample Questions
Q1) Fast moving volcanic mudflow is formed as a result of the combination of water and volcanic ash results in
A) Lahars.
B) Pyroclastic flows.
C) Cinder cones.
D) Lava domes.
Q2) A volcanic rock of intermediate composition,characteristic of subduction-zone volcanoes like those of the Cascade Range is
A) Basalt.
B) Andesite.
C) Rhyolite.
D) Granite.
Q3) The damage from ash fall in the eruption of Mt.Pinatubo,Philippines in 1991 would have been worse,but fortunately,monsoon rains washed the ash off houses and hillsides.
A)True
B)False
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Page 7
Chapter 6: Streams and Flooding
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Q1) Floods only occur where human activities tamper with natural stream systems.
A)True
B)False
Q2) Only surface runoff reaches streams; subsurface water is stagnant and does not move.
A)True
B)False
Q3) A stream's load consists of
A) The amount of water it carries over a specified time period.
B) The amount of material (solid and dissolved) carried by the water in a stream.
C) The amount of water and solid material carried downstream.
D) The amount by which a delta increases in size in a year.
Q4) The volume of water flowing past a point along a stream in a given period of time is the stream's
A) Drainage basin.
B) Discharge.
C) Load.
D) Capacity.
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8
Chapter 7: Coastal Zones and Processes
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Sample Questions
Q1) Littoral drift that encounters a bay or indentation along a coast will form this
A) A spit.
B) A baymouth bar.
C) A tombolo.
D) Barrier islands.
Q2) Given a beach influenced by littoral drift,any interception of this drift will result in deposition of sand upstream of the interception and erosion of sand downstream of the interception.
A)True
B)False
Q3) Along an irregular coastline,areas most intensely under attack by waves are
A) Recessed bays into which breakers come rolling from far at sea.
B) Headlands projecting out into the sea.
C) Areas down-current of piers and breakwaters.
D) None of these; all points along a given coastline are affected equally.
Q4) At present,along the eastern coast of the United States,
A) Sea level is rising.
B) Sea level is falling.
C) Sea level is rising, but the continent is rising faster.
D) Beaches are being extended seaward.
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Chapter 8: Mass Movements
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Sample Questions
Q1) Mass wasting
A) Is a formal term for the weathering of rock masses.
B) Represents the process of lava flow.
C) Is the movement of material (rock or soil) down slope due to gravity.
D) Is the movement of material by wind.
Q2) Addition of water to soil on slopes may
A) Stabilize the soil by freezing and thawing.
B) Stabilize the soil by increasing pore pressure.
C) Destabilize the slope by reducing frictional resistance to sliding.
D) Destabilize the slope by decreasing the slope angle.
Q3) The removal of vegetation always makes soil-covered slopes more stable because it removes excess weight.
A)True
B)False
Q4) When wet soil moves slowly over an impermeable surface the phenomenon observed is called
A) Solifluction.
B) Permafrost.
C) Rock slide.
D) Rockfall.
Page 10
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Chapter 9: Ice and Glaciers,wind and Deserts
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Q1) The steeper sloping side (leeward side)of the dune is called stoss and the gentler sloping side (windward side)of the dune is called slip face.
A)True
B)False
Q2) In the United States,desertification
A) Is not a concern, because we have few deserts.
B) May affect broad areas of the Sun Belt and plains states.
C) Can be avoided by more extensive use of ground water.
D) Is not a concern because few people live in the areas at risk.
Q3) In mid-western North America,the southern boundary of the north polar ice cap during past ice ages is marked by these two rivers
A) The North Platte and Ohio Rivers.
B) The Arkansas and Ohio Rivers.
C) The Missouri and Ohio Rivers.
D) The Missouri and North Platte Rivers.
Q4) Horizontal flow of air is driven,in part,by air-temperature differences over land and water.
A)True
B)False
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Chapter 10: Climate-Past, present, and Future
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Q1) The principal source of rising levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere is the burning of fossil fuels.
A)True
B)False
Q2) Many Pacific Island nations consist of a collection of atolls.Some of these nations have appealed to the United Nations claiming that rising sea level is causing coastal flooding.Another explanation for coastal flooding on these islands other than rising sea level is
A) Atolls are ringed by coral reefs and these reefs are dying.
B) Atolls are susceptible to more beach erosion than other types of islands.
C) Atolls are former volcanoes that are slowly sinking (subsiding).
D) Atolls are composed of limestone that is slowly dissolving.
Q3) When water evaporates from the oceans,
A) The water vapor is isotopically "heavier" (has a higher <sup>18</sup>O/<sup>16</sup>O ratio) than the residual water.
B) The isotopic composition of the vapor is influenced by the temperature.
C) The oceans are warmed by the evaporation process.
D) All of the choices are correct.
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Chapter 11: Ground Water and Water Resources
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Sample Questions
Q1) Water use for irrigation in the region of the Aral Sea has resulted in
A) Decreased water salinity.
B) Increased crop yields because of nutrient salts deposited on fields.
C) Health problems from blowing toxic dust.
D) All of the choices are correct.
Q2) The zone of saturation is also commonly referred to as
A) Aeration zone.
B) Phreatic zone.
C) Aphreatic zone.
D) Vadose zone.
Q3) A perched water table is a highly desirable and reliable source of ground water.
A)True
B)False
Q4) A water softener removes calcium and elements such as magnesium that show similar chemical behavior.
A)True
B)False
Q5) By definition,the water table never extends above the ground surface.
A)True
B)False
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Chapter 12: Weathering, erosion, and Soil Resources
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Q1) All soils,by definition,must show well-developed A,B and C horizons.
A)True
B)False
Q2) The process by which soluble minerals are dissolved and removed from soil is termed
A) Soil creep.
B) Organic.
C) Leaching.
D) Erosion.
Q3) Consequences of sediment pollution include more rapid infilling of reservoirs and clogging of stream channels.
A)True
B)False
Q4) The composition of a soil is controlled by
A) The composition of bedrock on which it forms.
B) Climate.
C) The extent of chemical weathering.
D) All of the choices are correct.
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Chapter 13: Mineral and Rock Resources
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Q1) Sediment sorting and selective concentration of minerals via currents in a coastal environment that are mechanically concentrated by water are called
A) Hydrothermal deposits.
B) Ore deposits.
C) Placer deposits.
D) Metasomatic deposits.
Q2) Most major iron ore deposits are hydrothermal deposits formed early in the earth's history.
A)True
B)False
Q3) The link between plate tectonics and formation of mineral deposits has made the search for new ores more efficient.
A)True
B)False
Q4) Ore deposits of dense minerals concentrated by stream action are A) Evaporates.
B) Placers.
C) Hydrothermal.
D) Metamorphic.
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Chapter 14: Energy Resources-Fossil Fuels
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Q1) Enhanced oil recovery methods are necessary because
A) Drilling directly into an oil field is often not possible.
B) The presence of natural gas makes it impossible to pump liquid petroleum.
C) Only about one third of the liquid petroleum within a field can be recovered by initial pumping.
D) Increasingly, drilling directly into an oil field is being banned by law.
Q2) Process of liquefaction and gasification results in a cleaner burning coal.
A)True
B)False
Q3) The process of gasification
A) Extracts geopressurized natural gas.
B) Converts oil to natural gas.
C) Converts coal to gasoline.
D) Converts coal to natural gas.
Q4) It is easier to estimate coal reserves than oil reserves because coal is solid and does not migrate.
A)True
B)False
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Chapter 15: Energy Resources-Alternative Sources
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Q1) Rapid development of hydropower in nations such as China raises safety concerns about the dams.
A)True
B)False
Q2) Nuclear fusion reactors would
A) Be very inexpensive to build, once the technology is perfected.
B) Involve far fewer radiation hazards than fission reactors.
C) Require extremely rare elements as fuel, which is why none are currently in use.
D) Produce more nuclear fuel for future use as they operate.
Q3) Dams have a shelf life.
A)True
B)False
Q4) Passive-solar heating systems are so named because they do not involve mechanical devices.
A)True
B)False
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Chapter 16: Waste Disposal
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Sample Questions
Q1) On-site disposal of food waste using an in-sink garbage-disposal unit is detrimental for all of the following reasons except
A) It reduces the impact on local landfills.
B) It requires electricity and water.
C) It adversely affects the performance of septic systems.
D) It increases the volume of solids that must be treated by municipal wastewater treatment plants.
Q2) Disposal of radioactive wastes in clay-rich sediments of the deep sea floor
A) Is presently banned by international treaty.
B) Is not seriously under consideration because of the danger of water pollution.
C) Would provide some containment of radioisotopes even in the event of leakage of wastes from canisters.
D) Would be impractical because of the instability of the sea floor.
Q3) Organic matter can be beneficial by a process known as
A) Incinerating.
B) Fertilizing.
C) Composting.
D) Harvesting.
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Chapter 17: Water Pollution
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Sample Questions
Q1) Use of microorganisms to break down toxic organic compounds in ground water is called
A) Bioremediation.
B) Aerobic decay.
C) Anaerobic decay.
D) Eutrophication.
Q2) Volumetrically,the largest non-point source of pollution in the United States is A) Cropland.
B) Forested land.
C) Mine sites.
D) Urban storm water runoff.
Q3) Nonpoint pollution sources are more diffuse and thus harder to monitor and control than are most point sources.
A)True
B)False
Q4) Chemical decontamination is principally used for small toxic-waste spills in surface waters.
A)True
B)False
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Chapter 18: Air Pollution
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Q1) One of the controls of air pollution involve conversion of dangerous compounds prior to effulent realease to less harmful ones or by pollutants being entrapped at the source.
A)True
B)False
Q2) Particulate air pollutants
A) Are chiefly produced by human activities, not natural processes.
B) Typically have short residence times in the atmosphere.
C) Are unsightly but not unhealthy.
D) All of the choices are correct.
Q3) The method removing carbon from atmospheric circulation and storing it or using it for biological and physical activities is called
A) Carbon emission.
B) Carbon absorption.
C) Carbon dissipation.
D) Carbon sequestration.
Q4) Thermal inversion is independent of topographic or geographic locations.
A)True
B)False
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Chapter 19: Environmental Law and Policy
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Q1) What constitutes a beneficial use of water is defined differently in different regions.
A)True
B)False
Q2) The principle of surface-water law that gives all property owners bordering a body of water equal rights to that water is the
A) Riparian Doctrine.
B) Doctrine of Prior Appropriation.
C) California Doctrine.
D) Balancing Doctrine.
Q3) A new convention regulating mineral-resource exploitation in Antarctica is awaiting ratification by the consultative parties to the Antarctic Treaty.
A)True
B)False
Q4) Al Gore,acting on behalf of the United States as its vice-president,signed the Kyoto Treaty.
A)True
B)False
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21
Chapter 20: Land-Use Planning and Engineering Geology
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Q1) An important planning tool used in variety of applications for land-use and engineering geology involves
A) Weather data.
B) Geophysical data.
C) Maps.
D) None of the choices are correct.
Q2) In addition to scale modeling and laboratory tests of materials,computer simulations may be used in the process of designing earthquake-resistant structures.
A)True
B)False
Q3) In cold climates,there may exist a permanently frozen __________ zone in the soil.
A) Vadose
B) Permafrost
C) Sensitive clay
D) Accumulation
Q4) Expansive clays do not pose a threat in engineering geology activities.
A)True
B)False
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